Friendship Set On Fire
by Stormrose Dewleaf
Summary: It seemed only natural that the two team members who kept one foot in each world would be drawn to one another. Yusuke just didn't expect Kurama's thorough commitment to maintaining a facade of normalcy to come between their budding relationship.
1. Dominance

This story is the result of a burst of energy from procrastinating before finals a few weeks ago, combined with not wanting to entirely let go of the concept that drove "Just A Boy." Rated for mature content and copious amounts of cursing, because you don't come to terms with your sexuality without throwing around more f-bombs than is probably necessary, especially when you're Yusuke. Sexual scenes have been edited out to meet FFN's requirements; the full version can be found on AO3. (Link to AO3 account is on my profile.)

"Love is friendship set on fire." -Jeremy Taylor

* * *

It had been Kurama's idea, surprisingly, to not only go out and pick a fight with the first group of ruffians they could find, but to do so with no youki or reiki behind their attacks, no weapons, no abilities of any kind. "You never know when an opponent might have something up his sleeve that could leave you powerless," he explained to Yusuke. "Neither of us have fought on physical strength and skill alone in quite some time."

Something about Kurama's behavior recently made Yusuke suspect that Kurama just had some frustrations of his own he wanted to work out, but it didn't matter; he was always up for a good old-fashioned brawl, and he said as much to the fox with his trademark cocky grin. Together they set out for Makai, and despite the relative peace that had settled over both worlds in recent years, it didn't take long to find a group of bandits exploiting a small village of apparitions whose power levels were so low they barely registered on either of their radars.

"Damn bullies," hissed Yusuke from where he was leaning over Kurama's shoulder as the two of them watched from a tree. One bandit towered over an elderly man who stood trembling in front of his shop, while another bandit leered over a young mother whose three children hid behind her skirts as he offered her an unwelcome ultimatum in exchange for the month's 'protection fee.'

"They all range from lower to mid A-class," murmured Kurama, his fingers already itching to reach for a rose but resisting the urge. "It will be a challenge to take them on without powers, but not impossible."

Yusuke's eyes narrowed. "That strong and they have to pull this extortion racket? What a bunch of _FUCKING COWAAAAAAARDS!"_

The last two words were screamed in the direction of the village as Yusuke jumped down from the tree and stomped over; efficient for getting everyone's attention to be sure, but unfortunate that they had to be yelled right in his ear, thought Kurama, rubbing the side of his head ruefully before following Yusuke.

The bandits looked up in confusion at the shout, gathering around their leader as Yusuke and Kurama approached. "Well well, what have we here?" said the reptilian leader, showing his sharp teeth in a grin and swishing his tail. "Coupla boys fancying themselves heroes, eh?"

Yusuke was glad Kurama had reminded him to keep his power dampened against others' senses; if these scum ran off in fear before he got the chance to pound their faces in he would have been sorely disappointed. "Not a hero, just don't like the sight of your ugly mug harassing these nice folks," he said. "So why don't you and your boys give them back their gold and goods and beat it?"

The bandits chuckled. "Should I kill 'em, boss?" asked one of them, revealing sharp claws while his various companions drew weapons or powered up their youki.

"Now where would the sport be in that?" chided the leader. "Why don't you two boys run off before we have to hurt those pretty faces?"

"I got a better idea," said Yusuke. "Us two against all of you, over there a ways," he said, pointing in a direction where he knew a clear area lay within the forest, not too far away to be tedious but far enough away to avoid damage to the village. "We win, you screw off and leave these people in peace."

The reptile threw his head back and laughed. "Fine, my boys have been needing some exercise," he howled. "Come on then, men. Drop what you've gathered so far; we'll go kill these two then come back and take twice our usual bounty!"

True to Kurama's prediction, the fight was a challenge, but it was clear from the start that the two of them were far superior in speed and strength even while holding themselves back as much as they were. Yusuke and Kurama spent most of the battle fighting back to back and letting the bandits rush at them, though occasionally they bounded away further into the trees to make certain they were keeping a distance from the village and their crops. Despite the initial plan to hold back their youki, somewhere in the excitement Kurama slipped into his Yoko form, and the last three bandits ran away screaming at the sight while the one Kurama was holding by the collar passed out from shock before the fox's punch ever connected.

Yusuke laughed and fell backward into the grass with limbs splayed out. Kurama smiled at the joy radiating from his companion, laying down as well in the opposite direction, their heads next to each other. "Man that felt good," breathed Yusuke. "We should do this more often." He turned his head towards Kurama, his vision full of silver hair and Kurama's thoughtful, skyward gaze. "So, do you feel better?"

"Hm?" questioned Kurama, turning to look at Yusuke as well.

"Do you feel better?" repeated Yusuke. "From whatever it is that's been on your mind."

Kurama smiled, looking at the sky again. "Nothing has been on my mind," he said pleasantly, but slid his golden gaze back at Yusuke when his companion snorted in disbelief. "Nothing out the ordinary," he amended; Yusuke had once commented that the day Kurama had absolutely nothing on his mind was the day the fox would be dead for real.

"Fine, don't tell me," grinned Yusuke. His chest was still heaving from the exertion of the fight, as was Kurama's, and Kurama was suddenly aware of their breaths mingling and just how close Yusuke's face was to his, and he had no idea which of them moved first but the feel of Yusuke's teeth on his bottom lip and fist in his hair was somehow more electric than any youki he had ever felt.

Yusuke was surprised by the growl that came out of his own throat, but as he kissed Kurama again even harder he found himself on his hands and knees for better leverage until Kurama sat up too and pushed back, knocking the Mazoku to the ground and sitting on him, moving the kisses and bites that getting more and more frantic to Yusuke's neck. Kurama's clothing had gotten ripped during the fight, and Yusuke took advantage of the tears to push the fabric off Kurama's shoulder and run his hands down the fox's chiseled chest. He wrapped his arms around Kurama's neck, pulling Kurama back for more kisses before flipping their positions.

They stared at each other for a moment, completely still except for their panting. "Can't say I ever had a fight end like that before," said Yusuke breathlessly.

"Never?" murmured Kurama with a gleam in his eyes that sent a shiver down Yusuke's back. "You should fight alongside friends more often, then," he said, winding his arms around Yusuke's neck and brushing his fingers into the back of Yusuke's hair.

"Alongside friends, or alongside you?" said Yusuke with a smirk. "Because if this is a habit of yours, then by all means - " He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Kurama was kissing and biting at him again, taking advantage of Yusuke's distraction to wrap his legs around his waist and flip him, pinning him underneath him yet again. Yusuke's laughter was musical, and Kurama was almost disappointed when the laughter turned into a surprised gasp at the lovebites Kurama trailed down his chest while his hands worked at the clasp of Yusuke's jeans.

* * *

Yusuke flopped beside Kurama, and Kurama snuggled himself into the Mazoku's embrace with an arm over Yusuke's chest and let himself fade back into his redheaded form.

"Not that I'm complaining, but somehow I never took you for the cuddly type," teased Yusuke, twining the fingers of his free hand with Kurama's, the other arm wrapped firmly around Kurama's shoulders.

"Is that so?" Kurama said with a smile, not offering any explanation, not about to puff up Yusuke's ego by letting him know that he was an exception. "Maybe I'm not. This is the only time we've ever had sex, after all. Hardly enough evidence for a solid conclusion." Somewhat reluctantly, he disentangled himself from Yusuke's arms and sat up. "We still aren't that far from the village. We should dress ourselves before any of them work up the bravery to confirm we defeated the bandits."

Yusuke followed his lead, and together they returned to the human world. Once they were back inside city limits they took the most secluded routes they could find back to Yusuke's apartment to avoid frightening anyone with their disheveled appearances, though fortunately night had already fallen. "Good night, Yusuke," said Kurama in front of the building, walking away as Yusuke reached for his key.

"Night, Kurama," responded Yusuke, taking a moment to watch the retreating form before going inside. He got into the shower, and as he stood under the water the last of his high from fighting and sex left him, and the full gravity of the day settled over him. He had just had spontaneous sex with one of his closest friends, and he had no idea what that meant for the future. They hadn't said a word on their walk back until their goodnights, and Kurama had walked away as if nothing had happened. An odd heaviness settled into his throat at the thought of Kurama preferring to leave it forever unspoken, leading him to an uncomfortable realization.

If his heart were still human it would be pounding right about now. He groaned internally. _I'm so fucked. And not in the fun way._


	2. Trepidation

The main reason he always hated trekking out in the middle of nowhere, besides the bugs and the leaves and the being miles away from anything useful, was that it was too damn quiet.

It was too easy, thought Yusuke, to let the thoughts that were normally shoved down as deeply as they would go come back to the surface and tap you on the shoulder and make you listen. Not so in a busy bar; you could tune out and let the background noise take the place of anything that wasn't a fleeting surface thought. He sipped at his beer, listening to the hum and bustle of the weekend crowd, the dim tones of whatever sport was on the screen at the other end of the bar, the incessant rambling of Kuwabara next to him telling him about his new life at university and how different the schoolwork was and the weekend visits to see his sister and Yukina and the sudden shouts of "Urameshi! Yo! Earth to Urameshi!"

Well _that_ wasn't part of the normal bar bustle. Yusuke took another sip and looked at Kuwabara. "Yeah, what? I'm listening."

"Like hell you are," grunted Kuwabara into his own beer. "You're a million miles away. What's on your mind?"

Yusuke looked at Kuwabara contemplatively; the other's expression was serious, more than a little concerned that Yusuke might not be okay. It wasn't very often, after all, that he actually stopped and _thought_ about something, or at least not in a manner that others could tell. It couldn't hurt to share what was going on, right? Kuwabara was always going on about how real men weren't afraid of their feelings, and being Yusuke's closest friend, surely he wasn't going to be judgemental about the situation.

Yusuke took a deep breath. "I fucked Kurama the last time we went to Makai."

There was a beat as Kuwabara processed the statement and tried to discern if Yusuke meant figuratively or literally, followed by an exceptionally loud shriek of "You WHAT?"

 _So friggin' much for not judging._ Half the bar had turned to look when Kuwabara's yell rang out, and even knowing they had no idea what was going on, the stares were uncomfortable. Yusuke slammed back the rest of his beer, slapped some money on the counter, and left the bar in a huff. Kuwabara chugged his beer and fumbled for his own money before scrambling after him. "Urameshi, wait up!" Kuwabara jogged after him and put a hand on his shoulder when he had caught up. "Urameshi - "

Yusuke jerked away from the touch, stuffing his hands in his pockets and hunching his shoulders defensively. "Forget it," he said sourly. "Just pretend I didn't say anything. S'fine."

"Hey man, I'm sorry," said Kuwabara pleadingly. "You just...caught me off guard, that's all. I mean, you've only ever been interested in g - well, in Keiko, pretty much," he amended halfway through his statement. "I just assumed..."

"Yeah, well. You know what they say about assuming, and god knows you're already a big enough ass." Kuwabara ignored the barb. Yusuke reached into his jacket pocket for the cigarette he had bummed off Shizuru last month for emergencies, then swore under his breath when he remembered it was on his nightstand at home. When he changed direction to head for the nearest convenience store, Kuwabara followed. Apparently, he still wanted to hear about it.

Yusuke snuck a glance at his friend's expression, but didn't say anything more until they were outside the store and Yusuke was leaning against a wall to light his cigarette. "I dunno, it just happened," he said after savoring the first drag. "We fought some bandits, sat down to catch our breath, then we were fucking." He scoffed when Kuwabara winced. "What, would you prefer I called it making love?" he snipped. "Because it was a little rough for that. I've still got damn marks all over me." He pushed his collar over for Kuwabara to see the bite marks where Kurama had gotten particularly zealous on Yusuke's shoulder.

"So...what's bothering you about it?" asked Kuwabara with some trepidation. "He not returning your calls or something?"

Yusuke snorted and pushed away from the wall, heading for his apartment. Kuwabara tagged along even though his place was in the opposite direction. "Nothing's bothering me about it. It's fine, okay?" He knew Kuwabara knew that was a lie. But Kuwabara didn't push further, and Yusuke let him change the subject, finding an odd comfort in Kuwabara's chatter until he bid him good night and turned onto the main street to begin his own trek home.

* * *

For the rest of the week Yusuke threw himself into his work, putting his entire focus on the customers that came to his ramen stand and pushing all the complicated feelings away to deal with later (or maybe never). But by Friday he found himself in a jittery mood. He kept his cart within walking distance of the office building where Kurama had started working after high school, and every Friday, when Yusuke opened earlier than usual to cater to the businessmen in the area looking for a change of pace, the fox would come to him for his own lunch. He had ordered the same bowl so often that Yusuke would prepare it ahead of time, sliding it in front of Kurama with a triumphant grin just as Kurama took his seat. This time, however, Yusuke hesitated before beginning his preparations. What if Kurama didn't come by today? What if he did?

He made the ramen anyway, but when the clock ticked over to the usual time, Kurama wasn't there. Ten minutes went by with no redhead in sight. By an hour later, Yusuke gave up expecting him and spent the rest of the evening in such a sour mood that even his regular customers didn't stay to chat. He decided to close early, suddenly feeling desperate for a night of drinks and shitty television on his couch. He pulled the shutters down just as a gentle rain began falling, then turned to finish the last of his cleaning, slamming pots and pans around even harder now that there were no customers or passers-by to give him odd looks over his temper.

"I can't imagine that sort of treatment is good for the cookware."

Yusuke almost dropped the bowl he had just picked up and swore under his breath. Kurama was leaning against the counter near the door that Yusuke was certain had been locked from the inside and that he definitely hadn't heard open or shut. The look on his face was half amused, half apologetic, and it was the apologetic part that made the anger that had coursed through Yusuke's veins at the sight of him dissipate as quickly as it had come. "You didn't come by for lunch," slipped out in place of the casual greeting he had intended. "I mean, not that you have to or anything," he said lamely, turning back to his task.

"I'm sorry." Kurama was behind him now. "There was an issue with a client and I had to work through lunch."

The floral, woodsy scent that always clung to Kurama pushed through the oily and somewhat smoky scent of the cart. Yusuke contemplated turning around and pulling Kurama even closer by his tie, but opted to shrug offhandedly instead. "It's not a problem," he said, trying to keep his voice light and his focus on the dishes ahead of him.

Kurama read every inch of tension in Yusuke's body with ease and sighed. "Yusuke." When the only answer was a slight tilt of the head to indicate that he was listening, Kurama slipped his arms around the Mazoku's waist to reach for a bucket, smirking at the startled jump his movement elicited. "Let me make it up to you," he murmured against Yusuke's ear.

Yusuke felt lightheaded, staring at Kurama's hands moving around him to fill the bucket with warm water and dunk a clean cloth into it. Somehow he didn't think Kurama meant that he wanted to help him with the cleanup of the stall, but when Kurama put the bucket aside to press Yusuke's back against the wall and kiss him senseless, suddenly it didn't matter. He fought the urge to whine when Kurama broke the kiss. "Kurama?"

Kurama smiled at him with a half-lidded gaze. "Let me help you clean up," he said softly. "You look like you've had a long day." He took the cloth from the water and began wiping Yusuke's hands with tenderness, rubbing away the sweat and grime of the day. When he moved up Yusuke's arm, he pressed a kiss to his palm, then to his lips while he re-wet the cloth and wiped his face and neck.

The warmth was soothing and Yusuke closed his eyes to enjoy Kurama's ministrations, only to open them again when Kurama knelt on the floor before him with the bucket and unbuttoned Yusuke's jeans, tugging them down around his knees.

* * *

Yusuke let his legs give out from under him, sliding down into Kurama's arms and resting his face on the redhead's shoulder. "Fuck," he whispered. "That was - "

"A satisfactory apology?" asked Kurama, causing Yusuke to snort and his body to shake with silent laughter. He smiled and tightened his hold on Yusuke, pressing his cheek into the other's hair.

Distant thunder rumbled through the air, and Yusuke pulled back reluctantly. "Kurama, I..." Trepidation filled his eyes, and Kurama's chest tightened at the knowledge that he was the cause of the total disappearance of Yusuke's constant confidence. _What are we?_ was what he wanted to ask. "What about Hiei?" he deflected instead.

A shadow passed over Kurama's face that made Yusuke uncomfortable. "Hiei and I...have different ideas about what we want out of our lives," he said consideringly. "He can't bring himself to live amongst humans long-term, and traveling back and forth to Makai so frequently was not conducive to the type of relationship either of us sought." His eyes searched for something in Yusuke's, though he was certain he knew the answer to his own question before he asked it. "What about Keiko?"

"Well, um...ditto, sort of?" Kurama raised an eyebrow at him, wordlessly requesting further clarification. "I guess we just have different ideas about what exactly a 'normal life' is. She gets all funny whenever I say I'm going to Makai. I think she wants me to pretty much ignore that part of me until she gets old and dies or something, so we decided to go our separate ways."

Kurama suspected that Yusuke was oversimplifying, but he didn't press further. He pressed a kiss to Yusuke's lips instead, enjoying the feeling of Yusuke's entire body softening against him instantly, then stood and helped Yusuke to his feet. "Come on, I'll help you actually clean up this time," he said with a laugh while Yusuke adjusted his jeans. The work went quickly between the two of them, and even though walking underneath their own umbrellas until they parted ways forced them to keep their distance, Yusuke felt as close to Kurama as if they had been walking hand in hand.


	3. Jealousy

The next few weeks felt a little unreal, if Yusuke let himself think too deeply about it. His life progressed almost exactly as it had before the day trip to Makai. He slept until late morning, operated his ramen stand at night, met Kuwabara for a beer a couple of times, and wandered around the city when he had nothing better to do. Most of the time he only saw Kurama during his Friday lunch, and they kept their interactions casual and their physical touches nonexistent; Kurama didn't even touch his bowl until Yusuke had pulled his hand away.

The feeling of dreamy unreality that had begun to tinge Yusuke's life came whenever he and Kurama were entirely alone. Sometimes they would find an excuse to go to Makai, and once business was taken care of Kurama would pull him off into the forest somewhere. (Yusuke was quickly developing an affinity for the outdoors after all; the solitude was a little less annoying when Kurama's mouth was on his neck and his hands could explore Kurama's skin freely.) Sometimes he would come home and find Kurama waiting on his couch, usually with a book and a cup of tea that he would set down and a promising smirk that he kept, and as soon as Yusuke had locked the front door Kurama would go upstairs confidently with the knowledge that Yusuke was right behind him.

It was on one of those nights that Yusuke decided some things needed clarification. Kurama lay with his back to Yusuke, content to be snuggled into him for post-coital relaxation while Yusuke trailed idle patterns with his fingertips over Kurama's hip and up his stomach. "Kurama, are we dating?"

Kurama was silent for so long that Yusuke was about to repeat the question, wondering if his fox was lost in thought and hadn't heard him. But before Kurama's name could slip from Yusuke's lips again, he rolled onto his back and looked up at Yusuke. "I'm sorry, Yusuke. I'm afraid I've pulled you into a complicated situation."

Yusuke frowned. "What's complicated about this?" he asked. "You're single, I'm single, the sex is great, and we literally trust each other with our lives." He didn't like the way Kurama's eyes dimmed in response. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm a dimwit, remember? Whatever's bothering you, you're gonna have to spell it out for me."

Kurama let his fingers trail over Yusuke's cheek, and Yusuke turned his head to kiss his hand. "Now that I'm working at my father's company, it's very important that I maintain a tight control over my social image," he said slowly. "I may only be a general employee, but anything that draws attention to myself could reflect badly on him."

"Isn't he like the president of that place or something?" asked Yusuke. "I mean, he can just tell people to mind their own friggin' business." It didn't seem fair that Kurama should have to hide part of his life because of some stupid social requirement, and from what he had heard, he didn't think Kurama's stepfather was the sort of man to let image stand in the way of his son's happiness.

Kurama smiled; as always, Yusuke's idea of the best path was the most straightforward one. _If only it were that simple_. "As president, he does have a lot of influence, yes. However, he still has the chairman to answer to. And the chairman is...a very traditional, conservative man." Yusuke said nothing, the implications of Kurama's words seeping in. "If either of us lost our position, it would be a great strain on Mother...especially if it happened through scandal."

"So...you want this to stay a secret so you don't get fired, is what you're telling me," said Yusuke. Kurama nodded, and Yusuke gave him a grin in an attempt to ease the guilt that was hovering on the edges of Kurama's expression. "Okay, I can do that," he said. "We'll just be a couple of best buds whenever we're in public."

Kurama's thankful smile was a thing of beauty. "Thank you, Yusuke," he said softly. "I'm glad you understand."

* * *

Pretending that thoughts of Kurama weren't beginning to slip into Yusuke's mind every waking moment wasn't that difficult, as it turned out. Nor was acting as casual as ever whenever someone else was around, or even letting Kurama set the schedule for their more private encounters. No, what caught him off guard first was the jealousy that caught him sitting in a café next to Kuwabara on a sunny day, waiting for Kurama to join them for lunch. Kuwabara spotted Kurama at the door and turned to wave at the approaching redhead, then asked him how his date had gone.

Yusuke choked on his coffee; Kurama ignored him. "It went well, thank you," said Kurama. "But I informed Mother that I didn't see it going further."

"Yeah I bet you don't," said Kuwabara with a grin, nudging Yusuke in the ribs with his elbow. Yusuke just stared at Kurama. "What's with the face, Urameshi?" asked Kuwabara, noting the sudden tension.

"You didn't tell me you had a date," said Yusuke, trying to keep his voice casual instead of accusing.

"It wasn't one in the usual sense, really," said Kurama, glancing idly over the menu. "I simply take young women out to dinner occasionally when Mother is particularly persistent in her recommendations."

"Oh, if that's all," said Yusuke, trying to ignore the tightness around his chest. He shrugged offhandedly. "Whatever. So long as I'm the only one getting tied to the bed with those plants of yours." Kurama narrowed his eyes sharply, apparently not appreciating the joke. "Oh come on," grumbled Yusuke. "It's just Kuwabara. He already knows what's going on."

"I'm aware, but we are still in a public location," hissed Kurama through his teeth. The dark expression on his face blossomed into a pleasant smile as the waitress stopped by to take his drink order and see if they were ready to order a meal. When she had left, the smile remained on Kurama's face but the look in his eyes was cold enough to make an Ice Maiden jealous. "People see and hear far more than you give them credit for."

"Well, um...how is your mom, anyway?" fumbled Kuwabara in interruption, desperate to chase away the awkwardness that settled over the table along with Yusuke's sulking expression. He engaged Kurama in small talk, dragging Yusuke into the conversation eventually, and kept them from lapsing back into silence for the rest of the meal. When they parted ways, Kuwabara went one direction and Yusuke found himself walking alongside Kurama in a terse silence.

"I'm sorry."

Kurama glanced at Yusuke and came to a halt, the words having come out of Yusuke's mouth at the intersection where they had been about to part. "It's quite all right," he said quietly, but Yusuke wasn't looking at him. Kurama let the silence linger for a moment, searching his mind for a gesture that might make it up to him. "Come to Mother's with me."

That got his attention. Yusuke gave Kurama an odd look; he hadn't even been invited back to Kurama's apartment yet, let alone to the Hatanaka house. He knew Kuwabara was invited for dinner every so often, having become a close friend of the family, but Yusuke hadn't even met them properly. "Why?" was all he could manage.

Kurama tilted his head slightly. "I'm on my way there now. I go almost every Sunday to visit. She always enjoys it when I bring a friend."

Yusuke looked suspicious, but he nodded and followed Kurama. Sure enough, Shiori was delighted to see Yusuke and wrapped him in a hug that caught him off guard. "My goodness, it's so nice to finally meet you," she beamed. "I hear so much from Shuuichi and Kazuma."

"Whatever you've heard, I maintain plausible deniability," said Yusuke with a grin, and Shiori laughed. She greeted her son with a kiss on the cheek and led them both to the living room, where Yusuke was introduced to Kazuya and the younger Shuuichi. The afternoon passed pleasantly; Yusuke let Kurama field the questions about how the two of them had met, then distracted Shiori by sharing stories of running his own food cart and swapping recipes and cooking tips with her. Kurama's brother seemed interested in his tales, particularly when Yusuke mentioned having never gone to high school (an interest that Kurama shut down quickly), and hung on to his every word. It wasn't until the sun was starting to sink below the horizon that Yusuke stood to leave, thanking the Hatanakas for their hospitality and getting another hug from Shiori along with an open invitation to come to dinner some day.

Kurama said his goodbyes as well, following Yusuke outside. "It seems pretty nice," said Yusuke when they were some distance down the road. He shrugged when Kurama questioned him with a look. "To have a normal family like that. They really care about you."

"You speak as if you don't have that," said Kurama. Yusuke said nothing, and Kurama took his arm to get him to stop walking. "Yusuke..."

Yusuke kept his head down. "I know I got people who love me," he said. "People to protect and all. It's just...it's different, okay?" It was Kurama's turn to stay silent, and they continued walking. "I gotta try her recipe for seasoning pork for sure though," he mused, and Kurama relaxed at the sign that Yusuke wasn't upset.

"You should ask her how she seasons aburaage before she adds it to soup," said Kurama, and folded his hands behind his back as they walked. "Perhaps even add it to your menu."

Yusuke glanced at him, laughing when he got the hint. "Yeah, all right fox boy," he snickered, clapping Kurama on the shoulder. "Should I start making inarizushi too?"

"I certainly wouldn't complain if you did," said Kurama lightly, and Yusuke laughed harder. (1)

* * *

Yusuke seemed to be content with their arrangement more now that Kurama was involving him in aspects of his human life. When they were in public together, even alone, Yusuke never said or did anything that could be construed as suspicious. In the absence of any melancholy moods from the Mazoku, Kurama was content as well. That contentment wasn't disturbed until a couple of months later, when he approached Yusuke's ramen stand for lunch only to see Yusuke leaning on the counter, grinning at a lithe young man who was praising Yusuke's cooking skills freely. It wasn't necessarily an unusual sight, but Yusuke not having Kurama's meal ready like usual while lavishing attention on a stranger sat uneasily.

"Oh, hey Kurama!" greeted Yusuke cheerily, and moved away from the customer. He had apparently begun Kurama's bowl, as he finished a few final preparations before sliding it in front of him. Kurama watched the other man in the meantime.

"Aw, I wish I was special enough for him to have my order memorized," said the customer, giving Yusuke a pout through long lashes. The eyes under the lashes were red if the sun hit them just right, but instead of being attractive like Hiei's, Kurama found them uncomfortably close to the rusty reddish-brown of dried blood.

Yusuke laughed. "Himeru, I can't very well memorize your order when you order something different every damn time you come by," he said, swatting at the man's arm with a cloth. "Not to mention at different times."

"Oh, I see," said Himeru smugly, running his fingers through his black, disheveled hair. "So he's just predictable, not special."

Kurama focused on his soup, something about Himeru's presence irking him that he couldn't quite put a finger on, though Yusuke's response of "Naw, he's special. He's one of my best friends" helped ease the feeling.

"I'll leave you two be, then," said Himeru, finishing off his food and sliding Yusuke some money. Kurama caught the glint of Makai gold in the corner of his eye. Not human, then, but apparently hiding his youki well. Perhaps that's why he feels odd. "I'll see you later," he said cheerfully, blowing Yusuke a kiss.

Kurama's eyes narrowed and he turned his head to watch Himeru leave. "Damn, don't burn a hole in his back," said Yusuke, moving over to wipe the counter next to Kurama. "You okay?"

Kurama looked back at Yusuke, a little surprised by the concern and his own reaction to the other man. "I'm fine," he said. "Who was that?"

"Just a regular," said Yusuke, and it seemed innocent enough. But Yusuke tended to his stall with a smile on his lips and a spring in his step, leaving an unpleasant taste in Kurama's mouth that couldn't be attributed to the ramen.

* * *

(1) The comments about aburaage and inarizushi are a reference to the belief that fried tofu is a fox's favorite food.


	4. Contentment

The first snowfall of the season didn't count, Yusuke decided.

It disappeared as quickly as it came; while flakes drifted down from the grey sky for nearly the entire day, it melted against every surface it touched, leaving the city looking like a silent rain was falling instead. It was cold and wet and it didn't even bring the increase in customers that a proper winter's night would bring. People turned their collars against the chill and shoved their hands into their pockets and hurried into their homes, preferring to warm up in the comfort of their own kitchens rather than his.

The second snowfall of the season was different.

Once everyone adjusted to the transition from fall to winter, the energy changed. There were still grumbles about short days and cold wind and longing sighs for the beach, but few put any real malice behind their complaints. Winter meant soft clothes and good food and standing at a kitchen window with a hot mug in hand and watching the world doze. The second snowfall, the first proper one, whispered these promises as it settled on windowsills and park grass and sidewalk crevices, slowly covering up the urban grime and hinting at the rest and renewal that would follow for anyone who could get through the season.

Freshly-fallen snow made ugly things beautiful and beautiful things ethereal. What it did for Kurama made Yusuke nearly forget he had customers to tend to. When Kurama sat down and smiled his thanks as Yusuke set his bowl before him, all Yusuke wanted to do was stand there and observe the piece of artwork before him. Kurama had the lower half of his face nestled into his scarf, but as he sat down to eat he pulled it down out of the way. The wind had coaxed out a rosiness in his cheeks, and snowflakes had settled in his hair and on his eyelashes that hadn't yet melted until the warmth of the cart washed over him. He stirred his soup before lifting up a bite of aburaage first like he always did, putting it in his mouth and closing his eyes while his shoulders moved in a silent sigh of contentment. Yusuke always enjoyed watching people enjoy the food he made, but knowing he could make Kurama's favorite to the fox's satisfaction was on a different level.

When the other customers had left and Kurama was almost done with his ramen, Yusuke leaned on the counter in front of him. "So will I see you tonight?" he asked, trying not to sound as eager as he felt.

"Perhaps," said Kurama, eyes gleaming in a way that Yusuke knew meant yes, of course, and Yusuke's own eyes brightened with excitement.

"I sure would like to kiss you," said Yusuke softly, watching Kurama lick broth from his lips. Kurama took a moment to glance around; no one else was nearby, the number of people out and about having dwindled down along with the end of the lunch hour. He leaned over the counter and kissed Yusuke, smirking into it when Yusuke's eyes widened with surprise. "Damn, Merry Christmas to me," said Yusuke with a laugh when Kurama sat back down.

Kurama was about to tease him with promises of more early Christmas presents to come later that night when he caught a glimpse of another customer taking a seat at the opposite end of the stall in his peripheral vision, and instead turned his attention back to the last of his ramen. "What? Who's giving you Christmas presents already?" asked a voice that, while objectively pleasant and smooth, still managed to set Kurama's teeth on edge.

"Oh, hi Himeru," greeted Yusuke.

When he moved over to take Himeru's order, Kurama felt oddly cold despite the warmth still radiating from the kitchen. He set down his empty bowl and stood, readjusting his scarf as the wind picked up. "I should get back to work, Yusuke. I'll see you tonight." Yusuke glanced over and gave him a wave, the brightness of his smile going right to Kurama's core.

"Oooh, what's tonight?" asked Himeru teasingly. "Is it so important you can't go to the club with me tonight, Yusuke?" He tilted his head and pouted at Yusuke. "You did say you'd go with me sometime soon."

Yusuke laughed. "I will, I will. Just not tonight. What toppings do you want today?" he asked, already preparing a shoyu broth and the thickest noodles he had instead of the curly ones that normally came with it. Apparently, Himeru had become quite the regular customer, enough to have a custom order that Yusuke had already memorized.

Kurama walked back over to the counter. "Yusuke."

Normally Yusuke would just turn his head to see what someone wanted when he was in the middle of preparing a dish, but there was something commanding in Kurama's tone that made Yusuke stop what he was doing and step up to the counter to face him. "Yeah?"

Kurama reached over and grabbed the collar of Yusuke's shirt, pulling him in range for a hard kiss. He didn't pull away until Yusuke was flushed and breathless, his lips just a little swollen from Kurama's attack. "I'll see you tonight," he repeated (all Yusuke could manage was a strangled 'uh huh'), and as he turned away he looked directly at Himeru before heading back to the office.

* * *

True to his word, Kurama was waiting on Yusuke's couch when Yusuke got home. He smiled into his book, taking note of the fact that Yusuke had returned an hour earlier than usual. "Welcome home," he greeted without taking his eyes off the page.

Yusuke took note of the fact that a bottle of his favorite beer was waiting on the coffee table and Kurama was sipping a glass of wine instead of a cup of tea. "What's the occasion?" he asked, sinking onto the couch and taking an eager swig from the bottle. The room was dark except for the single reading lamp on the side table.

"No occasion," answered Kurama, finishing his page and marking his place before setting the book down. "I simply enjoy a nice glass of wine once in a while." He put a hand on Yusuke's knee and leaned in for a kiss, enjoying the feeling of Yusuke wrapping an arm around him.

"So uh, has the ban on PDA been lifted or something?" asked Yusuke when they pulled apart, settling back into the couch with Kurama still nestled under his arm.

Kurama's mouth tightened. "I apologize for my earlier behavior. No, I would still like to keep our relationship private. I merely let my emotions get the better of me for a moment."

"Your emot - " Yusuke started laughing. "Are you _jealous_? Of _Himeru_?"

Kurama pulled away from him to take another sip of his wine. "I am not," he said, with a huffiness to his words that betrayed his lie. "But he is interested in you, and there is something about him I don't trust." He fought to hold back the petulance that threatened to creep into his voice. "You're mine." He failed.

Yusuke set his beer down and took Kurama's wine away from him to join it. He cupped Kurama's face in his hands and kissed him so tenderly that Kurama felt as fragile as the wineglass on the table. "I'm yours," agreed Yusuke in a near-whisper. "Believe me, I don't have eyes for anyone but you."

Kurama smiled at the uncharacteristic emotional openness. He could tell Yusuke had become embarrassed as soon as the words left his mouth, and kissed him to let him know how endearing he found it. He let Yusuke push him down on the couch and closed his eyes while Yusuke turned his attentions to his neck, not opening them again until Yusuke began unbuttoning Kurama's shirt. "We should move to the bedroom, unless you've recently taken to storing lubricant somewhere in here."

Yusuke snorted in amusement but conceded. "Maybe I will start doing that," he said with a grin, standing up and gulping down the rest of his beer before taking Kurama's hand to go upstairs. "It'll be warm later; no point in wasting it," he said in response to Kurama's frown at the now-empty bottle that had temporarily stalled his plans.

"Honestly, Yusuke. I did bring more and put them in the fridge for you; it isn't the only one you have," he chided with just a little exasperation, but followed Yusuke with a smile.

Kurama had always found the phrase _making love_ to be trite, a vain attempt at embarrassed modesty or putting more importance on the act of sex than what was actually there. Sex was a pleasurable act that could be part of a relationship or not. The concept of it as something more than a way to show dominance or a way to enjoy the company of someone he trusted had always escaped him. Or at least it had until tonight, with Yusuke's focus on Kurama and Kurama alone. He used his mouth and his hands to pay attention to all the things he knew Kurama enjoyed and watched him closely to discover new ones. Kurama's body was a god and Yusuke was his priest and he had never felt so loved in any of his lives.

Yusuke's worshipping had brought Kurama to satisfaction twice before Kurama tucked himself against his Mazoku's side and yawned into his chest. He drifted off to sleep as Yusuke kissed the top of his head, more content with his life than ever before.


End file.
